“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance” — Oscar Wilde

Turn Valentines Day on its heart, by redirecting the outpouring of love and appreciation into your own self.

Open your heart and connect deeply with your first love, your one true love and the love that will guide you everyday of your life.

The heart is the first thing to develop in utero and it is the still heart that causes death. It is there with you every moment of your life and knows you deeply. Your heart understands what you need and what you want.

To prepare for this yoga session, find a comfortable way to sit. Place your left hand over your heart and place your right palm over the left hand. Let your breathing relax and breathe deeply into your heart. Feel your heartbeat. Close your eyes and stay here for 10 deep breaths or longer.

Release your hands and move through the following heart opening yoga sequence.

Supported chest opener: Tightly roll up a blanket or a towel. Place the blanket roll horizontally on the floor. Lay down on your back so the blanket is supporting your shoulder blades as you come to lie down, and your heart is lifting. Place a support under your head to allow the forehead to slope towards your chin.

One at a time, straighten your legs along the floor. If your lower back feels tight, keep your knees bent and feet on the floor. Open your arms out to the side at shoulder height so that they are over the blanket roll and your shoulders are resting on the floor. Stay here for at least two minutes and breathe into your heart. Feel the space around your heart expanding.

To release from this pose, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Roll over to your right side and press up to seated.

For the next three poses, lay your blanket on top of your mat to support your pelvis and ribs.

Sphinx pose: Lie on your belly with your legs as wide apart as feels good. Let your toes turn towards each other as your heels turn out so that your lower back feels open and not compressed. Come onto your forearms with your elbows on the floor underneath your shoulders and palms pressed into the floor. As you lift your chest off the floor, keep your gaze straight ahead and bring the bottom tips of your shoulder blades down and in to gently lift your heart.

Stay here for three to five breaths. Release as you exhale.

Cobra Pose:

Come to lie on your belly, with your hands on the floor underneath your shoulders. Spread your fingers wide apart and press all parts of your hand, palm and fingers into the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body and engage your leg muscles by pressing your legs strongly into the floor. As you inhale, draw your shoulders down and away from your ears as you lift your heart up. Keep your gaze down so that you avoid lifting from the chin and put your awareness into the lifting and opening of your heart. Release back down as you exhale. Repeat at least three times.

Locust Pose: Lying on your belly, rest your forehead on the floor. Extend your arms out to the sides, palms facing down. Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You’ll be resting on your lower ribs, belly, and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned toward each other.

Breathe into your heart and invite the heart to move forward as the shoulder blades move down the back and shoulders move away from your ears.

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